Either size would work, 15mm preferred. I need to make an aluminum bushing with a 15mm ID. I was wondering if we have any twist bits of this size in the shop. I could also rig up a boring bar is we have one small enough to clear a 1/2 - 9/16 pilot.
Aaron
@rustin.atkeisson would know better what size drills we have, but I don’t recall anything over 1/2" in the indices. Might be some bigger drills on the cabinet.
I don’t know what kind of tolerances you are working to but since either 15mm or 0.594" will work, it doesn’t sound like a critical dimension. Besides that, a drill should never be relied on to hit a specific size or provide a round hole, for that matter.
How deep is the bushing? If deflection isn’t going to bea problem, a boring bar would be the the go to, imo. A reamer would be the next best choice but I’m sure we don’t have one at the space and care should be taken even if we did to make sure the hole doesn’t end up bell mouthed.
The 2nd or 3rd narrow drawer down does have some drill bits large than 1/2in. There might be a 9/16 (.5625) dia drill bit in there. I doubt that there is a 15mm or 19/32 dia drill bit in there. I don’t think we have a boring bar that small to get you to that final 15mm dia, nor do I think we have a remember much larger than .2500
The big tool store will most likely have a 15mm drill bit, but it seems like any metric drill bit comes at a premium cost compared to SAE standards. If you can handle .003 slop in the hole, it might work out cheaper to ask for a 19/32 drill bit if we don’t have either in that drawer.
If the bushing isn’t much more than an inch thick, you might check the lathe cabinet for some thinner pieces of tool steel to grind down for use as a boring bar. Otherwise there are some pretty light duty cutters sitting with the mini lathe in a silver tool case by the breaker panel.
I don’t think we have a specific set of metric drill bits, but that is something on my shopping list as more people come up with 3D printer projects using metric fasteners.
We do have a set of metric drill bits, they are in a red or blue metal box in the cabinet. Unfortunately for this, They only go up to 13mm. They aren’t easily visible due to not wanting people to use them without a reason, rather than the much more easily replaced imperial sizes.
I do have a 15mm, probably for the same reason, but pronay won’t be at the space for a day or two. If you need one sooner, check the yard.
If you need somebody to make that for you, let me know. It sounds like it’s a pretty easy part to make could be done pretty quickly. I have boring bars down to 5/16 so unless it’s a deep hole should have no trouble making it. Or I could meet you at the space and you could make the part there.
Hey all, thanks for the input. I had to measure the mating parts to see how critical the tolerances were…they weren’t LOL. I initially referred to the part as a bushing but it’s more of a spacer.
Anyway, I got it knocked out on the Logan laat weekend. 9/16 rough bore finished with a small boring bar I found in the pile of tools in the cabinet. Turned out perfectly well enough
